My 5 favourite spots in Southeast Asia
For the past 5 months, I’ve been travelling through Southeast Asia (SEA). I visited Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Although each country and each place has its beauty, I would like to highlight my top 5 favourite spots. Let me know if you agree!
1. Ha Giang — Vietnam
Honestly, I think I have never seen something as beautiful as Ha Giang. Especially among backpackers, it’s popular to do the Ha Giang Loop with organisations like Mama’s House or Jasmine Hostel.
For 3 or 4 days (up to you), you’ll explore the beautiful landscapes by driving around on a motorcycle. Not comfortable driving yourself? You can go with an easy rider. Costs are around 190 euros including accommodation, food, and entrance fees, and it’s 100% worth it!
2. Khao Sok — Thailand
Khao Sok National Park is located in the south of Thailand. There’s not much to do in the little town itself, so I recommend booking an overnight lake trip with Smiley or Coco Hostel. Costs are around 80 euros including the National Park fee, accommodation, food, and activities.
During this 2-day trip, you’ll do a morning and night boat safari and hike to the Nam Taloo cave. You can swim through the cave which is absolutely amazing! There is also some free time to swim or explore the area by kayak. At night, you will sleep in a bungalow on the river. Super cool!
3. Phong Nha — Vietnam
Phong Nha is absolutely unreal. Yet, it’s a place many backpackers skip during their trip in Vietnam. I don’t know why. Phong Nha is known for its beautiful caves like the Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, and Dark Cave. However, what I enjoyed the most here was just driving around on a motorcycle. The views are absolutely stunning. Also, don’t forget to make a stop at the Duck Stop! You will 100% love this.
4. Koh Lipe — Thailand
This small southern island in Thailand is one of the prettiest islands I’ve been to. Long white beaches, clear blue water, beautiful sunsets, and lots of little restaurants and bars. Just good vibes. The island is so small, you can walk everywhere. You can do a lot of activities like scuba diving (which I absolutely recommend!), kayaking, and paddle boarding.
For only 100 Baht (3 euros), a taxi boat will take you to the island of Koh Adang. Here you can do a 30-minute hike to a viewpoint over Koh Lipe. It’s beautiful. Don’t do the hike around 12 pm though. Very very hot.🔥
5. Singapore — Singapore
The place where it all began. And it was a great beginning. Singapore is such an amazing country (or city). Everything is very futuristic. High modern buildings vs. Botanical Gardens. Nice restaurants along the riverside and an advanced metro system. You can even use your credit card to check-in.
Make sure to visit Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay (also by night), Little India, Kampong Glam, and Chinatown. If you have some time left and like theme parks, go visit Universal Studios on Sentosa Island.
What else?
Not mentioning any places in Malaysia, Laos, or Cambodia doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy my time there. Because I absolutely did. ❤
Places to visit in Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur, Taman Negara, Cameron Highlands, and Georgetown. If you go to Laos, make sure you avoid burning season! It’s really bad for your health and it makes hiking and visiting viewpoints less worth it.
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat (ancient temples) close to Siem Reap is a must-visit same as the killing fields and S21 in Phnom Penh. I also really enjoyed Kampot, Battambang, and the island Koh Rong Samloem.
Hopefully, I gave you plenty of tips on where to go in Southeast Asia. Have you already been there? I would love to hear about your favourite spots in SEA. Tell me in the comments or DM me on Twitter.
Cheers,
Your Favourite Content Warrior — Sharissa🔥
